This invention relates to a product conveyance system and method, and more particularly to an apparatus and method for merging a number of infeed product streams into one or a lesser number of product outfeed streams. The apparatus is particularly useful for merging products or containers into a single outfeed lane or line for subsequent processing or packaging purposes. The apparatus may further be used to separate and position a non-uniform product supply from product infeed sources to provide a metered or collated outfeed.
Because of advances in the manufacture and filling of product containers, and the increased speed of these processes, it has become necessary to provide a reliable, continuous lane merging device, and particularly one which is useable with pliable containers. In the past, various devices have been used and proposed to merge and collate a stream of products for subsequent packaging purposes. Many such devices utilize star-wheel structures, screw structures, or flight bar structures to engage products. However, these devices are generally complex, difficult to manufacture, and are inefficient. Also, prior art devices have been found unsuited for use with pliable or otherwise unstable product units. Due to the flexible and pliable nature of many products, such as plastic containers, and due to the pressures exerted on a given container by adjacent upstream containers, such products have a tendency to deform and to resist reliable merging and metering by prior art devices. Prior art structures can cause product damage, such as spearing or jamming, as well as irregular metering with respect to such products.
Despite the need for an efficient device in the art which provides a means to merge a number of product streams into one constant product outfeed stream, and which overcomes the limitations and problems of the prior art, none insofar as is known has been proposed or developed.
Accordingly, it is an object of the present invention to provide a lane merger apparatus and method which provide a constant supply of individual articles, such as bottles, to an outfeed stream from a plurality of infeed sources. A further object is to provide an apparatus and method which is useable in a continuous, high volume packaging operation, particularly one which utilizes pliable containers. The lane merger apparatus of this invention, overcomes the shortcomings and limitations of the prior art devices. Particularly, the apparatus permits products or containers to be merged from a plurality of infeed lines onto a single outfeed line in a continuous operation, and without interference or interruption. The apparatus also merges a number of product infeed conveyors which may or may not be operational at any given time. Thus, the apparatus ensures constant product availability to the outfeed conveyor. The apparatus further permits products to be metered or collated into particular product groups on the outfeed line. Finally, this invention provides an apparatus which is effective at merging and collating flexible and unstable products.